Bedlam is a British Supernatural Drama Television series that first aired in 2011 on Sky Living. In terms of synopsis, the series is about a group of people who move into recently renovated apartments in a haunted pre-Victorian mental asylum. Below, I have explored the opening credits to the series as a source of inspiration for my film opening.
Opening Credits
0:03 - The Scene
The scene shown in the screenshot above is both unsettling and a common setting often portrayed in films and TV series associated with supernatural and haunting. The room resembles that of a hospital patient's room, relating to the setting of the mental asylum used throughout the series. The dark lighting, with the single bulb creates an eerie atmosphere due to the suspense created by the dark corners as many people are recognised to fear the unknown. Additionally, the lone character in the middle of the room, tied to a chair with a bag over his/her head further sets the scene. This is because it represents how mental patients were trapped inside their own head, however represented in a visual manner and unsettling the audience.
0:03 - Glitchy Credits
Firstly, the text credits in the sequence are extremely effective in terms of the transition and effect; the names of the actors appear in a glitchy style, cutting in and out of view. This corresponds well with the synopsis of the programme whereby the narrative is set around a haunted mental asylum; the glitch of the text represents the confusion and disorientation many mental patients experienced. The typography used is also a successful trait of the credits as the smudged effect used resembles, for example, a stamp, which are commonly used for old records such as those used in a mental asylum, thus coinciding with the narrative. The blocked out letters, such as the 'A' and 'O' could represent how the presence infiltrates weak areas of the victim's (character) life, as would occur in the typical haunting.
0:07 - The Hospital Room
The next scene of the opening credits takes place in an old hospital ward, which is commonly associated with mental asylums. The messy and dirty state that the room was clearly left in implies that the hospital was abandoned suddenly rather than just shutting down, which creates enigma as the audience would want to know what happened to cause the staff and patients to leave so suddenly. As a result, the audience is immediately unsettled as the dramatic irony creates suspense for what is going to happen, putting the audience on edge. Additionally, more name credits appear on screen to promote the actors from the series; the typography is the same as that explored previously.
0:09 - The Office
The sequence than transitions into a scene whereby a man is sat at a desk with burning papers flying around him. The burning papers could be representative of the burning of the asylum records by means of keeping its past a secret from the new residents. This creates enigma for the audience as they wonder what really happened at the asylum which causes the disturbances the residents are regularly tormented with. The man in the scene is also staring into the camera, which is unsettling for the audience and immediately puts them on edge, setting the atmosphere for the remainder of the series or episode.0:13 - Queue the Protagonists
We then receive our first insight into the protagonists of the series, as the following two images depict
The screenshot above shows one of the female protagonists standing in a long, dark corridor, which is common in horror, particularly supernatural, films and television series. The scene itself creates a ominous and eerie atmosphere for the audience, as one of the most common fears is the fear of the unknown, which the dark corridor could instil as the audience is unable to see, thus predict, what will happen.
Despite not being related to the genre, one of the most popular methods of promoting a film or television series is to showcase the main, popular actor or shirtless males. This is because it appeals to a wider audience, such as a wider female audience who may not be interested in to the supernatural aspect of the series itself. The scene itself does not promote anything ominous or scary, just purely showcases the actors involved.
0.18 - High Angle of Asylum
This next screenshot shows the outside of the mental asylum in which the characters live in. The camera angle used is what creates the scary atmosphere for the audience as it uses a low angle. This makes the building itself seem bigger and more ominous, acting as the 'villain' commonly shown in other horror and action films or series. The credits continue to be played, this time displaying the writers.
0.18 - Ominous Hallway
Here we see another of the 'token' dark, creepy hallways commonly represented in horror and supernatural films and series. The slightly blurred effect used, and in the actual credits the camera tracks the hallway at hyper speed, represents the disorientation of the mental patient's minds. The tracking effect makes it appear to the audience as though someone or something behind the camera is chasing someone else or running from something, which is both unsettling and scary for the audience.
0.22 - Wrong Reflection
This image shows a woman's face turning around whilst her reflection remains the same. This effect is common in both supernatural and psychological films and series as it represents the lack of control over the body when the mind is possessed. It is scary for the audience as it is completely unnatural and hence, unsettling for the viewers when watching. Additionally, the eyes of the reflection are looking into the camera, making the audience feel as though the character is looking at them. This makes them feel targeted, creating a sense of realism.
0.25 - Token Creepy Doll
Here we see the token creepy doll which is commonly associated with possession and supernatural medias due to the idea that entities can possess objects and torment their victims. The eyes in this doll have been removed, which makes the doll look visually more disturbing, and suggests how the evil entity has control over it. The look of the doll is mostly what unsettles the audience however, creating the eerie and creepy aura for the series or episode.
0.26 - Looking into the Eyes
The image above shows a close-up shot of one of the protagonist's eyes looking into the camera, which again, makes the audience feel as though they are targeted and more involved in the series. The fact that face, as the audience of this series would know, is of one of the characters in the series makes the entire clip more unsettling and frightening. This is because it creates the idea that they have been possessed by one of the entities which features in the series, creating enigma as to what has happened.0.30 - The Glitch Effect
The following two screenshots show the final clip which displays the title of the television series. The two screenshots show the glitching of the background clip, whereby a woman's face appears and disappears. The glitch effect again corresponds with the setting of the series, whereby the mental asylum patients become confused and disorientated, which this effect visually represents.
Overall, the sequence is extremely effect in terms of setting the atmosphere for the audience and introducing the series. The concept of the sequence coincides extremely well with the genre of the series and also to the location in which it is set. Below shows the whole sequence of the Bedlam credits.
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